Animal-trap.



J. A. PETRO.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1a. 190s.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1s. 190s.

Patented Ja,11.25, 1910.

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J. A. PBTRO.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 1s, 190s.

Patented .13.11.25, 1910.

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UNTTED STATES PritTENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. PETRO, OF LORAIN. OHIO.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

To all whom fit may concern: l

Be it known that I, .loniN A. ln'rno, a y citizen of the United Statesof i'\merica.! residing at Lorain, in the county of Lorain l and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps; and I hereby declare the following l to be a full, clear. andexact description of l the invention, such as will enable other-stskilled in the art to Vwhich it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to in'iprovements in animal-traps more especiallysuitable .for use in entrapping rats.

One object of this invention is to provide an animal-trap having achamber which has a doorway leading thereto and adapted to be closed bya door which is normally open but movable into position to close thedoorway and actuated into its closed position by the descent of avertically movable platform arranged within the chamber a suitabledistance from the doorway and normally in its upper position anddepressible by the weight of the animal to be eutrapped.

Another object is to provide the trap with a food-holder arranged tohold food accessible to the animal to be entrapped from the aforesaidplatform.

Another object is to provide means whereby the door is locked upon theactuation of the door into its closed position.

Another object is to have the said door normally arranged below thedoorway and movable upwardly to close the doorway and to provide astationary platform extending under the travel of the aforesaid movableplatform from the lower end of the doorway and to have the mechai'iism.which operi a tively connects the door with the said movi able platform,arranged ont of the way bei low the stationary platform and operating tolift and thereby close the door during the descent of the movableplatform. l

Another object is to provide a passageway arranged to lead from the saidvertically movable platform in the lower posil l t I i l l l tion of theplatform and forming an outlet for the aforesaid chamber, and to havethe means instrumental in locking the aforesaid door in its closedposition upon the descent of the said platform rendered iuoperativeduring the passage of the cntrapped animal tlnough the said passageway.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1908.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 443,201.

Another object is to provide a door which l borne by the said verticallymovable platform and closes the receiving end of or is arranged belowthe aforesaid passageway according as the said platform is in its upperor lower position.

Another object is to provide the aforesaid passageway at the bottom withan outlet which discliarges dowinvardly into a receptacle and hasIcommunication therethrough normally obstructed by a trap-door arrangedto loe opened downwardly by the weight of the animal against the actionof means acting to retain the trap-door in its closed position.

Another object is to so apply and construct the receptacle that it isconveniently removable and readily' cleanable.

Another object to produce an animaltrap which is simple in construction,reliable in its operation and not liable to get out 0f order.

lith these objects in View, and to the end of realizing any otheradvantages hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certainfeatures of construction, and combinations of parts, hereinafterdescribed, pointed out in the claims, and illust 'ated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an animal-trapembodying my invention. Portions are broken away and in section in thisligure to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on line 2-2, Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated by thearrow. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in detail on line 3 3, Fig. 2,looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. l is a Verticalsection corresponding with Fig. 2 except that Fig. 4 shows the platformIl in its lower position and the door 71, and the doors C in their openand closed positions respectively, whereas Fig. Q shows the saidplat-form in its upper and normal position and the doors /1v and (l intheir closed and open position respectively. F ig. 5 is a horizontalsection on line 5-5. Fig. 4t, looking downwardly. Fig. (l a verticalsection on line (3-6, `ig. 4l, looking in the direction indicated by thearrow. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7, Fig. 2, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 88, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on line 9-9. Fig. 8, looking inlthe direction indicated by the arrow.

My improved animal-trap comprises a chamber A which is provided with twodoorways a and a, formed in opposite walls respectively of the saidchamber, which doorways afford passage into the said chamber frominclined ladders B and B which lead to the bottoms of the said doorwaysfrom the exterior of the trap. Each doorway cz is adapted to be closedat its inner side by a vertically movable door C which is arrangedwithin the chamber A and normally open and below the said doorway.Obviously therefore the doorways a are arranged far enough above thebottom 15 of the chamber A to accommodate the location and operation ofthe doors C which are movable upwardly as already indicated to close thesaid doorways.

Two stationary platforms D and D are arranged horizontally within thechamber A adjacent the bottom or lower end of op posite doorways arespectively and are arranged between the central portion of the saidchamber and the doors for closing the said doorways. The platforms D arearranged far enough apart at their adjacent ends to accommodate thelocation and operation between them of a vertically movable slide Ewhich engages correspondingly arranged slideways e formed in anyapproved manner. Each platform D is arranged far enough above the bottom15 of the chamber A to accommodate the location between the saidplatform and the said bottom of a lever-forming vertically tilting frameG which establishes operative connection between the slide E and thedoor employed in closing the doorway affording access to the saidplatform. Each frame G is preferably journal'ed on a suitably supportedaXle g which is arranged horizontallyV and transversely of the chamberA. The slide E, at its upper end, bears a horizontally arranged platformH, and the chamber A is closed at the top by a cover I which is providedinternally and above the said platform with a rack J for holding peanutsor other food employed in alluring the animal to be entrapped. The coverl is removable, being provided at its under side with springs 16 whichin the closed position of the cover frictionally engage the innersurfaces of the doorway-containing walls of the chamber A.

Fig. 2 shows an animal y to be entrapped in position to jump from one ofthe station- 4ary platforms D onto the movable platform H. The movableplatform H isvnormally in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 2, andthe slide E normally projects far enough above the stationary platformsto cause the weight of an animal jumping' onto the said movable platformto depress the latter and connected slide E far enoughA to tilt theframes or levers Gr in the direction and to the extent required toelevate the doors C and thereby close the doorways a as shown in Fig.4L, but the said doors are heavy enough to enable them to operate asmeans acting to retain the said movable platform in its upper and normalposition but not heavy enoughto prevent the lowering of the saidplatform by the weight of the animal. lt is obvious therefore that assoon as the animal .z/ to be entrapped has jumped onto the platform H asshown in Fig. e, the escape of the said animal at the doorways c isprevented. Each door is provided at its inner side and upper end with aspring-catch which. consists preferably of a springA or resilient member17 attached to the said door in any approved manner and projectingdownwardly and inwardly from the said side of the door, and the platformD adjacent the path of the said door is provided with a recess alarranged to accommodate the location of the said spring-catch during themovement of the door from the one to the other of its positions.

A suitably suppor-ted endwise shiftable pin 18 projects into the chamberA'adjacent the upper end of each doorway a at the inner side of the pathof the door adapted to close the said doorway and has such arrangementrelative to the resilient member 17 of the said door that the saidresilient member during the ascent of the door into its doorwayclosingposition is pressed toward the door b v the said pin until the door hasbeen moved into its upper position when the said resilient memberassumes its normal position and overlaps the upper side of the said pinand thereby in conjunction with the pin operates to lock the said doorin its upper and closed position. Preferably the pins 18 extend looselythrough holes 22 formed in the upright wall. 20 of the chamber A and arearranged substantially parallel with the axes of the levers G and havebearing on the bottoms of said holes. The chamber A has however anoutlet through which an animal that has jumped upon the movable platformH .may escape from the said chamber, which outlet is formed by anangular passageway K leadingl from the said platform in the lowerposition of the platform. The movable platform H is provided, at oneside of the slide E and adjacent one of the slideways for the saidslide, with a depending plate or member 7L which forms a door closingthe receiving end of the passageway K in the upper and normal positionof the said platform, and the adjacent stationary platform is recessedor cut away, as at 23, to

accommodate the descent of the said door during the descent of themovable platform. It will be observed therefore that the door /L isoperatively connected with the platform H, which door closes the innerend of the passageway K in the upper position of the said platform andis open in the lower position of the said platform.

Vithin the passageway K is a tilting platform L which is arrangedlongitluliually of the passageway and normally extemils from thereceiving end of the passageway at the bottom of the passageway upwardlyand outwardly. The tiltingl platform L is suita'bly secured at its innerand lower end to a suitably supported oscillating shaft Z which isarranged externally of the chamber' A and below and transversely of thepassageway l( and preferably horizontally and at a right angle to theaxes of the levers (t. The shaft is provided at each end with anupwardly projecting arm '24 to which the pins t8 are operativelyconnected in any approved manner. A suitably applied spring 'at engagesthe under side of the platform L and acts to retain the said platform initsI upper and normal position, and the side walls of the passageway Kare slotted, as at to accommodate the location of the said spring. Ofcourse, the spring m is not powerful enough to retain the platform L inits normal position when the said platform is mounted by the entrappedanimal. The entrappcd animal y, upon mounting the platform L, by itsweight depresses the said platform as shown in Fig. 7 againstI theaction of the spring m, and the arrangement of the partsI is such thatthe depression of the said platform by the animal oscillates the shaft lin the direction and to the extent required to actuate the pins 1S fromunder the resilient members ll' of the doors C so as to render the meansinstrumental in locking the said doors upon their actuation into theirclosed position inoperativt-e and. permit the return of the platform tlinto its uppe: and normal position to close the door z, as shown in Fig.7, and to open the doors C.

My improved trap comprises a suitably Vformed stop-forming member 2Garranged under the platform L. as shown in Figs. G and T, and inposition to limit the depression of the said platform by the animal.

'lhe passageway K is provided at the outer end of the platform L with aventilator 2T which is arranged centrally between the ends of the saidassageway. 'lhe passage/way K is provided at 'its outer end with anotherventilatm 28, and between the two ventilators 27 and 28 has an outlet'for permitting the escape of the entrapped animal Yfrom the passageway,which outlet is formed by an opening i150 in the bottom of the saidpassageway as shown in Fig. 8, which opening is normally closed by asuitably sup ported hinged trap-door R which is arranged to swingdownwardly and prevented from moving upwardly by suitably appliedstop-forming members 3Q. A suitably applied spring r engages the underside of the trap-door lt and acts to retain the trap-door in its closedposition. The spring r is not, however, powerful enough to retain the tapdoor closed when the trap-door is mounted by the entrapped animal, andhence the animal when it has passed over the platform L, not being ableto return, passes toward the outer end of the passageway and mounts thetrap-door and then by its weight depresses and thereby opens thetrap-door against the action of the spring and into a receptacle 'larranged under the outlet 30 of the said passageway and drops throughthe said outlet into the said receptacle through an aperture 33 -formedin the cover with which the said receptacle is provided, as shown inFig. S.

My improved trap is provided with a shelf 2H on which the receptacle 'lis removably mounted. and the cover t is removable 'from the receptacleupon the removal of the latter from the said shelf. The receptacle T issupplied with a body of water 'a into which the entrapped animal dropsupon its passage into the receptacle, as shown in Fig. l, which body ispreferably covered by a layer of oil .fe and deep enough to submeroe thehind legs and rear portion of the body of the animal when the animalstands on its said legs as illustrated in Fig. 1.

`What l claim is 2- 1. [n an animal-trap, a chamber having a ('loorwayvleading thereto, a door normally open and arranged below the doorwayand movable upwardly to close the doorway, a vertically movable platformarranged with in the chamber a suitable distance from the doorway andnormally in its upper position and adapted to be lowered by the weightof the animal to be entrapped, a stationary platform extending under thetravel of the movable platform from the lower end of the door 'ay,mechanism arranged below the stationary platform and operativelyconnected with the movable platform and with the door and operated toclose the door during the descent of the movable platform, and meanswhereby the door is locked upon the actuation of the door into itsclosed position.

ln an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, a doornormally open and movable to close the, doorway, a vertically movableslide arranged within the chamber a suitable distance from the doorwayand uormallv in its upper position, slideways for the slide, astationary platform extending between the travel of the slide and thelower end of the doorway. mechanism establishing operative connectionbetween the slide and the door, and a platform borne by the slide at theupper end of the slide and adapted to be lowered by the weight of theanimal to be entrapped, and the relative arrangement of the parts beingsuch that the descent of the movable platform results in the actuationo-f the door into its closed position.

3. In an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, a doornormally open and arranged below the doorway and movable upwardly toclose the doorway, a vertically movable slide arranged within thechamber a suitable distance from the doorway and normally in its upperposition, slideways for the slide, a platform borne by the slide at theupper end of the slide and adapted to be lowered by the weight of theanimal to be entrapped, a stationary platform arranged under the travelof the movable platform and extending between the travel of the slideand the lower end of the doorway, mechanism arranged under thestationary platform and establishing operative connection between theslide and the door, and means whereby the door is locked upon theactuation of the door into its closed position, and the relativearrangement of the parts being such that the descent of the movableplatform results in the ascent of the door into its closed position.

(l. In an animal-trap, a chamber having two doorways leading thereto andformed in opposite walls respectively of the chamber, doors normallyopen and movable to close the doorways', a vertically movable slidearranged centrally between the doorways and normally in its upperposition, slideways for the slide, two stationary platforms arranged atopposite sides respectively of the slide and extending between the lowerend of opposite doorways respectively and the travel of the slide,mechanism establishing operative connection between the slide and thedoors, and a platform borne by the slide at the upper end of the slideand normally far enough above the stationary platforms to permit itsdescent.

5. In an animal-trap, a chamber having two doorways leading thereto andformed in opposite walls respectively of the chamber, doors normallyopen and below the doorways and movable upwardly to close the doorways,a vertically movable slide arranged centrally between the doorways andnormally in its upper position, slideways for the slide, two stationaryplatforms arranged at opposite sides respectively of the slide and eX-tending between the lower end of opposite doorways respectively and theslide, mechanism establishing operative connection between the slide andthe doors and arranged below the stationary platforms, a platform borneby the slide at the upper end of the slide and normally far enough abovethe stationary platforms to permit its descent, and means whereby thedoors are locked upon their movement into their closed position.

6. In an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, a doornormally open but movable into position to close the doorway, a'vertically movable platform arranged within the chamber a suitabledistance from the doorway and normally in its upper position and adaptedto be lowered by the weight of the animal to be entrapped, means wherebythe descent of the platform results in the closing of the door, apassageway arranged to lead from the said platform in the lower positionof the platform and forming an outlet for the aforesaid chamber, a doorconnected with the platform and closing the inner end of the saidpassageway in the upper position of the platform and open in the lowerposition of the platform, a normally depressible platform within thesaid passageway and normally projecting upwardly and toward the outerend of the passageway, means acting to retain the last-mentionedplatform in its normal position but not powerful enough to retain thesaid platform in the said position when the said platform is mounted bythe entrapped animal, means whereby the firstmentioned door is lockedupon the movement of the said door into its closed position, and meanswhereby the said door-locking means is rendered inoperative during theactuation of the last-mentioned platform by the weight of the animal.

7. In an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, a doornormally open but movable into position to close the doorway, avertically movable platform arranged within the chamber a suitabledistance from the doorway and normally in its upper position and adaptedto be lowered by the weight of the animal to be entrapped, means wherebythe descent of the platform results in the closing of the door, apassageway arranged to lead from the said platform in the lower positionof the platform and forming an outlet leading from the aforesaid chamberfor the entrapped animal, a door connected with the platform and closingthe inner end of the said passageway in the upper position of theplatform and open in the lower position of the platform, a tiltingplatform arranged within and longitudinally of the said passageway andnormally projecting upwardly and outwardly and arranged to be lowered,means acting to retain the tilting platform in its normal position butnot powerful enough to retain the tilting platform in the said positionwhen the said platform is mounted by the entrapped animal, means wherebythe firstmentioned door is locked upon the movement of the said doorinto its closed position, and means whereby the said door-locking meansis rendered inoperative during the actuation of the tilting platformv bythe weight of the animal.

8. In an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, a doornormally open and arranged below the said doorway and movable intoposition to close the doorway, a normally depressible platform arrangedwithin the chamber a suitable distance from the doorway and adapted tobe lowered by the weight of the animal to be entrapped, means wherebythe descent of the platform results in the closing of the door, apassageway arranged to lead from the said platform in the lower positionof the platform and forming an outlet leading from the aforesaidchamber, a door connected with the platform and obstructingcommunication through the said passageway in the upper position of theplatform and open in the lower position of the platform, an oscillatingshaft arranged externally of the aforesaid chamber and below andtransversely of the said passageway, a tilting platform arranged withinand longitudinally of the said passageway and attached to the shaft andnorn'ially projecting upwardly and outwardly, a spring acting to retainthe tilting platform in its normal position but not powerful enough toretain the tilting platform in the said position when the said platformis mounted by the entrapped animal, means whereby the firstmentioneddoor is locked upon the movement of the said door into its closedposition, and means whereby the said door-locking means is renderedinoperative during the oscillation of the shaft by the depression of thelast-mentioned platform against the action of the aforesaid spring.

9. In an animal-trap, a chamber having a doorway leading thereto, ladoor normally open and arranged below the said doorway and movable intoposition to close the doorway and provided at its upper end with alaterally and downwardly projecting resilient member, a normallydepressible platform arranged within the chamber a suitable distancefrom the doorway and adapted to be lowered by the weight of the animalto be entrapped, means whereby the descent of the platform results inthe closing of the door, a passageway arranged to lead from the saidplatform in the lower position of the platform and forming an outlet forthe aforesaid chamber, a door connected with the platform andobstructing communication through the said passageway in the upperposition of the platform and open in the lower position of the platform,an oscillating shaft ar anged externally of the aforesaid chamber andbelow and transversely of the said passageway and having an upwardlyprojecting arm, a member operatively connected with the said arm andprojecting into the path of the aforesaid resilient member, a tiltingplatform arranged within and longitudinally of the said passageway andattached to the shaft and normally projecting upwardly and outwardly,and a spring acting to retain the tilting platform in its normalposition but not powerful enough to retain the tilting platform in thesaid position when the said platform is mounted by the entrapped animal.

10. ln an animal-trap, a receptacle, a passageway leading to the saidreceptacle and provided at the bottom with an outlet which is arrangedto communicate with the reeeptacle, a tilting platform ar 'anged withinand longitudinally of the said passageway between the said outlet andthe receiving end of the passageway and normally projecting upwardly andoutwardly and thereby obstructing the said passageway to preventmovement of an entrapped animal from the said outlet to the receivingend of thc passageway, means acting` to retain the said platform in itsnormal position but not powerful enough to retain the platform in thesaid position when the platform is mounted by the animal, a trap-doornormally obstructing communication through the aforesaid outlet andarranged to be opened downwardly b v the weight of the animal, and meansacting to retain the trapdoor in its closed position but not powerfulenough to retain the trap-door closed when the trap-door is mounted bythe animal.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing speeitication, in thepresence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. PETRO.

Vitnesses:

C. H. Donna, 1 VICTOR C. LYNCH.

